Why should
I join a fraternity?
What makes TKE different from other fraternities?
How long will I be a pledge?
Do you guys party all the time?
What do you do for community service? Do I have
to do it?
What kind of leadership positions are available
to freshmen?
Do you have a test file?
My parents don't want me to join a fraternity.
What if I just didn't tell them?
How much does it cost to join?
What intramural sports do you do?
Do you pair with sororities?
What is your brotherhood like?
How active are you on campus?
I heard that ABX hazes! Is that true?
My dad was a Teke at another school. Do you honor
legacies?
I'm worried about my grades. What can your chapter
do to help me in school?
Do you get a lot of support from alumni?
What is the Apollo Project?
What are your membership standards?
Belonging to a fraternity offers many advantages. We realize that your first purpose for coming to college is to obtain an education. We also realize that a college education encompasses more than academics and that the ability to deal and live with people is a demand that will be made on you for the rest of your life. As a well rounded man you must merge a solid academic background with intellectual and social maturity, and with confidence in yourself to deal with the problems that will face you in later years. TKE is a very unique fraternity because we provide an environment that will encourage you to strive for academic excellence, while at the same time discovering new social horizons in a variety of campus settings. Our fraternity is involved in enhancing scholastic achievement, hosting social events, developing men into tomorrow's leaders, participating in sporting events, and much more. A fraternity gets you involved, which helps you to develop different skills. It also allows you to develop contacts with other students, and a variety of alumni involved in all areas of the business world. People join organizations for different reasons. Most of our members joined Tau Kappa Epsilon because they enjoyed the events, liked the people they met, and felt that our chapter had the best to offer them at this important time in their life. You will also become part of a larger network of over 300 chapters and 200,000 members across North America.
Since our founding in 1899, Tau Kappa Epsilon has always seen itself as different from other social fraternities. This perception has led TKE to become the world's largest international fraternity. Our founders felt that fraternities had degenerated from institutions of scholarly attainment to mere social clubs. Our founders started an organization "whose avowed purpose was to aid college men in mental, moral, and social development," and that is a mission we have not strayed from. Our mission is no different than it was in 1899 and the challenge is no less intimidating. Building better men is what TKE has always been about. For nearly 100 years, Tau Kappa Epsilon has been building better men. Taking young men and building them into young leaders. Leaders who are prepared to face the world complete with a set of values and beliefs that add a distinctive advantage to a man's efforts throughout his life. We have always based our membership "not for wealth, rank, or honor, but for personal worth and character." One only needs to read The Declaration of Principles to understand what Tau Kappa Epsilon stands for.
The word "pledge" and all the unflattering remarks which accompany it does not exist within Tau Kappa Epsilon. The new member education program is based on a "no pledgeship and no hazing" commitment. Every fraternity will claim that they do not haze, but TKE was the first fraternity to implement a new member program that replaces senseless tasks with educational and inspirational programming. The Apollo Program is the name of Tau Kappa Epsilon's new member system. It is a six week program which teaches new members about the history of the Greek system, the history of TKE, the history of their own chapter, and how they fit into this system. It allows young men to become young leaders through motivational and instructional programs and activities. The Apollo Program gets you on your way to success and facets of it will continue with you for the rest of your life.
Because Tau Kappa Epsilon is a "social" fraternity many people have taken that to mean simply "partying." Part of becoming a socially mature adult involves interaction with those around you, and TKE holds several social events throughout the course of the school year to aid in that development. You don't have to belong to a fraternity to party, but the risk you take by mixing people in unfamiliar and uncontrolled environments can be costly. The rumors that you have heard or clips from Animal House simply do not exist within our chapter. We follow specific Risk Management guidelines which are designed to allow everyone to have fun, but without any unfortunate side effects. TKE has created a social fraternity that defines "social" not simply as parties and celebration, but rather one in which celebrations and parties are the rewards for our successes. We hold several dances and formal events which have taken Teke's and their dates from riverboat cruises to roaring bonfires. Each social event we hold optimizes enjoyment and reduces risk.
Philanthropy is one activity that TKE has always been heavily involved in. Our national philanthropic organization is the Special Olympics and last year alone TKE contributed more than $75,000 and hundreds of volunteer hours to the organization. We expect each member to do a set number of hours of philanthropic service each semester, but most members do much more than that. Raising money and donating hours often involves sporting events, working with children or senior citizens, and often with other fraternities and sororities. Philanthropy events are a great way to meet people, have fun, and provides needed support within the community.
Because new members in Tau Kappa Epsilon do not spend most of their freshman year as pledges, who are unable to get involved directly within the chapter, they are able to get a head start on leadership experience. Each year TKE holds Regional Leadership Conferences and the TKE Leadership Academy which are both designed to teach more effective leadership methods. From the very beginning, TKE teaches it members to be leaders and not followers. Typically freshman choose committee chairs to begin their leadership role in the chapter. Because members are always considered on an equal level with all other fraters they are able to jump right into a position that they feel they can succeed the most at. There will also be officer positions that will open up to you as a freshman before your first semester is over. TKE is actively involved in the Interfraternity Council and you will have the chance to obtain a directorship that would begin during your second semester. Why wait a year to begin on your road to success when you can begin today in Tau Kappa Epsilon? College offers you a clean slate in life, so why not get a jump on the competition while they're still scrubbing floors!
Time management means something different when you get to college than it did in high school. You now have so much available time on your hands that you can either use it or waste it. TKE's new member program not only teaches you how to manage that time, but also how to get the most out of every day. As with any organization you will get out of it what you put into it, and the rewards will vary depending on the drive that you have. Our goal is to make you a better man. The time you spend perfecting that goal will not be taking up time, but will instead be the most important time you've ever spent.
In addition to a large collection of old exams and class syllabi, TKE works through various tutoring programs on campus, sets up studying sessions, sets minimum grade standards, and our Big Brother Program helps new members to adjust to the academic environment.
Sometimes parents believe that fraternity life revolves only around beer, women, and hazing, and unfortunately some fraternities cannot offer much more than that to you. TKE takes a lot of time to keep parents informed about what things will be like in the chapter and how they can make the Teke Experience more rewarding. Some students find this a strange idea at first, but you should talk with your parents about which fraternities you are interested, what kinds of opportunities they have to offer, and what kinds of questions you need to ask of each fraternity. This will definitely show how seriously and responsibly you are making this decision process.
In addition to having the lowest dues of any fraternity on campus TKE also has a very low fee for joining the fraternity. All initial costs go to the International Headquarters who provides the Apollo Program materials, membership card and certificate, the Teke Guide which is the Fraternity's membership manual containing the history, organization, ideals, and a detailed explanation of programs and traditions of our fraternity. This fee also provides you with membership fees, liability insurance, a TKE Calling Card, a subscription to TKE Today which is the official publication of the Fraternity, and of course the highly prized
TKE is actively involved in every aspect of intramural sports from basketball to ping pong. We allow every member to play on whatever team whenever they want to without having to wait until there is room for them. Playing sports is a great way to relieve stress and to keep in shape. Being physically fit is a key component to becoming an Apollo Man.
Tau Kappa Epsilon is greatly involved with interacting with sororities on campus. The new member program holds awareness seminars with sororities on campus, and that's a great way to get to know people. TKE also pairs for several social functions during each semester. Part of being a member of a "social" fraternity means that you have the ability to build those socil interaction and "people" skills you will need the rest of your life.
TKE is unique among fraternities in many respects and one such
difference is the importance we place on building brotherhood
within the chapter. We have been able to avoid rifts and
clicks that often develop between pledge classes because
our new member program treats every member on an equal basis right
from the start. The elimination of pledgeship and hazing within
TKE strenghthens our brotherhood because resentment and the sense
of inferiority is never present. TKE believes that there is no
point in a man's life more important than his college years. Growth
in a non-hazing and no pledgeship environment will allow him to
overcome the challenges he faces with the support from those around
him. TKE believes that brotherhood is a journey, not a destination.
Brotherhood involves more than just social events and TKE holds
monthly brotherhood events like indoor and outdoor sports, retreats,
social events, brotherhood nights, and much, much more. Each member
has their own definition of brotherhood, but each revolves around
the three guiding principles of our fraternity.
Our challenge as brothers is to live up to these guiding principles and our strong belief in them has created a strong sense of brotherhood that over 200,000 men just like you have shared since 1899. College is only temporary, but Brotherhood is forever.
Tau Kappa Epsilon is very active on campus throughout the year.
We have had members in top leadership positions on campus, as
well as within the Greek system itself. TKE builds leaders by
giving them the opportunity to get involved and the skills to
make them successful. If you've got the desire for success why
not join an organization that wrote the book on it.
Unfortunately hazing is something that still does occur within the Greek system. Even though every national fraternity has banned hazing some individual chapters have continued this barbaric and just plain stupid practice. It may make you wonder how much you can believe the promises some fraternities may make to you. In recent years several fraternities at around the country have been disciplined for forcing new members to endure hazing during their pledgeship. Hazing ranges from alcohol related, physical, emtional, and psychological torment as a condition for membership. You've never needed to undergo hazing to join any other organization in your life so don't believe that you have to start now. The Greek system began as a way to improve the lives of those who chose to join it, but sadly some fraternities have forgotten this important fact. The best defense against joining an organization that may haze its new members it to ask a lot of questions about what is required of you to be initiated. Find out how long the new member program will last, how much time will you be expected to commit, and has the chapter ever been charged for hazing. The more vague or shady the answers the more you should be concerned about how truthful they are being.
TKE is the Fraternity for Life and we take great care when legacies come to our attention. The values and ideals that are passed to every member of TKE insures us that they understand that their sons should be considered "not for wealth, rank, or honor, but for personal worth and character" just the same as every other potential new member. To this measure we consider anyone who wants "the choice to belong" to Tau Kappa Epsilon to be an unbiased process. Legacies will still sit before the Membership Quality Board before a bid to join Tau Kappa Epsilon will be extended. Interviews will be given throughout the year and legacies interested in the chapter should contact us to set up an interview. Alumni members will understand this policy based on our belief that "We maintain that exclusiveness is the direct antithesis of a true fraternity" and we must include any man who wishes to accept "the challenge to become."
The academic success you make in your first few semesters at college will largely limit or expand your future options. It's always easier to maintain a GPA than to raise one. TKE provides academic support from the very start with the Apollo Program, your Big Brother, Chapter and Academic Advisors, Scholarship Chairmen, Chapter Educator, tutoring services, and much more. Along with all the adjustments you'll be making during your first few months at college the last thing you want to worry about is poor academic performance. Academic success is simply opportunity meeting hard work, and TKE will give you that opportunity.
Part of belonging to the Fraternity for Life means continued support even after your undergraduate years are over. We publish an alumni newsletter, hold alumni events, and use alumni contacts to help graduating fraters obtain job interviews. Our Board of Advisors is made up of chapter alumni as well as other fraters who have chosen our chapter as their focal point for alumni support. To be honest, we don't get millions of dollars willed to us for renovations, we don't spend contributions just on parties, and we're not looking for alumni to spend our obstacles away. We have always valued the time and effort that alumni provide more than the money they give. TKE teaches its members that the only price Brotherhood has is dedication. Alumni offer everyone from our newest members to our graduating seniors support in every area from finding a job to recounting how they made the most out of their undergraduate years in TKE. The support that our alumni give every year is immeasureable.
The Apollo Project is TKE's innovative and exciting new member education program. TKE alumni and undergraduate mentors will guide you down your "Pathway to Apollo" as you learn more about what it means to be a man...and the challenge that accompanies that responsibility. The TKE mythological ideal, Apollo, has served as an example for over 200,000 Tekes since our founding in 1899. Today more than ever, the TKE Apollo odeal provides young men with an opportunity to learn and grow in an environment of "love, charity, and esteem," the three essential elements of true brotherhood in Tau Kappa Epsilon. The Apollo Man serves as a model and as a guide for you during your TKE undergraduate experience, and throughout your lifetime. It establishes a code of conduct for your behavior and actions; it provides you with an appropriate understanding of your relationship with your fellow man; and with women; it establishes a model of academic excellence, and of physical and mental health. The Apollo Project takes young men and turns them into leaders, and the world of tommorrow will need leaders not followers.
If you are selected to receive an invitation to join our great
Fraternity, you can do so knowing that our chapter members have
applied an extensive set of criteria to your selection, and you'll
know that they believe that you have what it takes to live up
to our standard. We base certain membership criteria on your past
experiences and how you have already turned opportunities into
success. If you accept the challenge to become a member of Tau
Kappa Epsilon you will be expected to maintain a certain minimum
GPA, be involved on campus and within the chapter, perform a few
hours per semester of community service, to meet your financial
obligations, and to live up to the ideals of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Our biggest standard is the standard of success that over 200,000
since 1899, have lived up to. It is our goal to provide you with
the opportunity, assistance, and support that will see you through
the most important years of your life, and on to your most successful
ones.
